Nine hours of alarms and record drone attack shake Kyiv
Photo: Russia launched a record 273 drones over Ukraine overnight (t.me/dsns_telegram)
Russia launched a record drone attack on Ukraine overnight on May 18. The enemy attack caused casualties and injuries.
What is known about the consequences of the Russian occupiers’ night attack is detailed below by RBC-Ukraine.
Key points:
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How many drones did the occupiers launch at Ukraine?
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Were there any strikes in Kyiv, and how long did the alarm last?
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What were the consequences of the attack in Kyiv region?
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Did other regions suffer damage from the drone strikes?
Number of drones launched by Russia
On the night of May 18, Russian forces attacked Ukraine using 273 drones of the Shahed type and others. This is a new record for the number of drones launched by the occupiers in a single night. The previous record was on February 23, 2025, when Russia launched 267 drones at Ukraine.
Overnight, the air defense forces, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups repelled the air attack.
Air defense managed to shoot down 88 enemy drones across the east, north, and central regions of the country. Another 128 decoy drones disappeared from radar without causing damage (locationally lost).
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, called last night difficult and noted that Russia uses these attacks to intimidate.
"It was a tough night. The Russians have always used war and attacks to intimidate during negotiations. That’s why they do everything to avoid a ceasefire — because war is a tool for manipulation," Kovalenko wrote on Telegram.
Kyiv
The air raid alert in Kyiv lasted 8 hours and 54 minutes. The longest alert in Kyiv lasted 9 hours and 56 minutes. Videos circulated online showing crowds gathering in the city’s metro in the morning due to a drone hovering over the city.
In Kyiv, explosions were heard several times during the night, and air defense forces were active in the city.
Fortunately, the night attack caused no casualties or injuries in Kyiv. However, damage was recorded in two districts of the capital:
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Holosiivskyi district – debris from a downed enemy drone fell, damaging the roof of a non-residential building;
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Solomianskyi district – window glazing of an apartment in a residential building was damaged.
Kyiv region
The enemy attack in the Kyiv region claimed the life of a woman, with others injured. Local authorities and the State Emergency Service reported destruction and fires in several communities.
In Obukhivskyi district, a residential house was destroyed, and a woman born in 1997 was killed. Three people were injured: two adults born in 1966 and 1964, and a child born in 2019. According to police, five apartment buildings and a car were damaged. Garages caught fire.
In Fastivskyi district, a warehouse (500 sq.m) and an outbuilding were destroyed, and a private house was damaged. A fire broke out at a medical center covering 5,000 sq.m.
Other regions
As noted by Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, air defense forces destroyed five drones over the region on the evening of May 17. The enemy struck the Mezhivska community in Synelnykovskyi district with drones, damaging an outbuilding and private homes.
The Air Force also reported that Donetsk region was affected by the Russian drone attack, but no information on the damage is available yet.
Sources: Telegram channels of the Ukrainian Air Force, State Emergency Service, Kyiv city military administration, Kyiv regional military administration, Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, Kyiv regional police, and Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation.
